The Dancers
by Ghost of the Crescent Moon
Summary: Just a short little Lavi / Allen one shot. '...all seemed to freeze about him. Across the crowd he saw a dancer clad all in silver and white...'


This story originally started life as a dream sequence within another fanfic I was writing. I ended up liking this idea so much I made it a little story of its own and scrapped the fic it was from in the process. It's the first one I have ever completed and the first piece of creative writing I have done since I left school, some years ago. I'm not going to say how many years ago… My aim with this was to write something pretty and dreamlike and while it didn't work out quite how I would have liked I figured it was a reasonable starting point. It's still taken me about 3 weeks to get up the courage to publish it though!

Dedicated to Tizenanatomy, who proof-read and gave me suggestions, and encouraged me to publish it. And for being my fangirl partner in crime ;)

OoOoOo

**The Dancers**

The crimson figure paused before descending the grand staircase and gazed out across the hypnotic scene below him. Crystal chandeliers refracted light into thousands of sparkling rainbows that bathed the dancers in a glorious waterfall of colour. Men and women swirled about in intricate patterns, weaving around each other in an endless, flawless tapestry of movement. They were clad in every shade of silk, satin, taffeta and velvet, all dripping with jewels; and from above they looked like birds of paradise. Each person wore a mask, granting the dancers anonymity. The heightened atmosphere was charged with excitement; electrifying the air surrounding them. They were free to act without the normal restraints of society; anything could happen this night, all rules were cast aside. The atmosphere was intoxicating and the man at the top of the stairs drank it in like wine. He raised a hand to his face, checking his mask was secure. He was dressed in red and gold, which complemented the flaming colour of his hair. A golden half mask obscured the right side of his face, leaving his emerald left eye exposed and glittering. Smiling, he moved smoothly down the stairs, bathed in a light that flickered about him like flame.

Reaching the marble floor he insinuated himself smoothly into the dance without disrupting the flow, and allowed himself to be swept up in the music and the moment. The vibrant sounds, the light of the candles and crystal, and the scent of perfume all blended into a glorious confusion of the senses. It overwhelmed the flame dancer, he felt giddy and light, like a spark swirling on the wind, unable to control his actions. This loss of control should have frightened him, instead he embraced it, breathing it in, taking his fill. He lost all track of time, minutes and hours blended into a dizzying dream.

And then suddenly all seemed to freeze about him. Across the crowd he saw a dancer clad all in silver and white. Set against the jewel tones of the crowd this white creature was like a vision of serenity, moving so gracefully he seemed to float like a swan feather upon a sea of silk. He was surrounded by a stillness, a small oasis of calm that seemed to keep him apart from all of his partners. Turning he caught the gaze of the flame coloured figure. Masked as they both were, neither could read the expression of the other, but each felt the connection. Feather and spark continued weaving their way through the motions of the dance, always at the opposite sides of the floor, but each turn bringing them closer and closer. Neither dancer was aware of the space that began to clear around them as they reached the centre of the dance floor; they circled each other, growing closer and closer yet never touching. The music built towards a crescendo, the creatures of fire and the ice growing more and more frenetic, their movements wilder and wilder but always a step apart, till both felt they would burst with the exquisite agony of separation. When the watching crowd felt they could barely stand the tension a moment longer, the dancers suddenly stopped. Face to face they stood, silver eyes gazing into green. They smiled and at the same moment they reached for each other, the fire being breaking through the shell of ice, hands meeting palm to palm, fingers entwining. Aware of nothing around them, their lips met and they melted into each other. At that moment the music began again and they started a new dance, one that was just their own and would always be their own. The rest of the room fell in to step, revolving around the figures, but the bright pair were aware only of each other.


End file.
